Clutch-centering mechanism.



F. NIESSNBR. GLUTGH GENTERING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

TTUHNEY.

I'. NIESSNER.

CLUTCH CENTERING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

` 2 sums-SHEET z.

IIN.

ma), f n www f M .WUINFV QW FERDIENANT NIESSNER, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

cLUTcn-cENTEnmG iininrnmrsin.4

No. 901,729.V

To aZZ whom 'it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FERDIENANT NrEssNER,

'of Johnstown, in the county of Cambrial and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clutch-Centering Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. l

My invention has relation to a certain new and useful improvement in pneumatic controlled driving clutch centering mechanism,

for machine tools, and particularly relates to that class of tools in which the platen is reciprocated by means of suitable gearing, to which is connected one member of a clutch. This clutch member is mounted between two oppositely rotating clutch members, and when in connection with either of the last mentioned clutch members will rotate therewith. In this type of machine tools,the driven clutch member is shifted and held in contact with either of the driving clutch members by means of a piston, operated by pneumatic pressure. This piston is mounted in a cylinder, so that pressure can be applied to move its piston rod in either direction, the direct-ion of the pressure being controlled by means of a valve which is shifted by lugs secured to the moving platen, and also by .means of a hand lever secured to the valve .mechan1sin. When the operator desires to bring this type of tool to a state of rest, the hand lever is moved to its central position, which will open the ports on both sides of the piston to exhaust.

The object of my invention is to positively shift the piston and the driven clutch membei' to its central position, and retain it in that position until the valve is again shifted.

My invention also consists in lthe novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l, is a side elevation of a portion of a planer with my improved centering mechanism attached; Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line llll of Fig. 1;` Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the driving shaft and clutch Vmechanism.

A is the main frame of a planer on which is mounted in proper guides the usual reciprocating platen B. This platen is oper-A ated by the well known gearing, and is .Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application led July 12, 1907.

v.Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

semi N0. 383,521,

driven from the bevel gear C, which is in turn driven by means o the bevel pinion D.

This pinion D is keyed to the hollow shaft F'. Also keyed tol the shaft F, so as to rotate therewith, but capable of sliding thereon,

is' the drivenclutch member G. Loosely Vmounted on this shaft', and in suitable bearings, are the driving pulleys H and K, and secured to these pulleys, are .the driving clutch members ZL and la respectively.

L\is a rod which projects into the hollow ^shaft F, and is secured to the'clutch member G by means of the pin Z, which passes through-slots in the hollow shaft When this rod L is shifted to the right, it carries the driven clutch member G into engagement with the clutch driving' member L, which will rotate the shaft F in the proper direction to move the platen (tothe right) to make a cut, and when the rod L .is moved to the left, the clutch member is moved into engagement with the driving clutch member 7c, which will rotate the shaft F in the vproper direction to return the platen (to the left) forY the next cut. And when the rod L, and Awith it. the clutch member G, is shifted to its central position, (the'position shown ,in the drawings) the machine 1s brought to a stateaof rest.

ofthe shaft L, so

Secured to the outer end as to rotate therewith, is` the sleeve M; rigidly mounted on this sleeve, are the brackets m, m, and pivoted to these brackets m, m, are the bell cranks m m. Mounted 'on the sleeve M, so as to rotate therewith, but slide thereon, is the sleeve N. This sleeve is provided with the groovedcollar "n, .and the wings or projections n', a. These wings n', n', are -each provided with a cam slot n2. One arm`of each of the bell cranks is provided with a pin m2, which projects into its lrespective cam slot n2, and the other arm of each bell-crank projects through a slot into the sleeve M. Loosely mounted on the rod I, and on each side of the short arm of each of the bell-cranks m', m, are the washers or collars Z, Z. Surrounding the rod L, and on the outside of each of the collars Z, Z, is a `coil spring Z, Z4. These springs are conlined between the collars Z', Z, and the collars Z2, Z2, and beyond each of the collars Z2, Z2, are the adjusting nuts Z3, Z3.

O is a cylinder which is provided with the port 0 leading into the one end, and the port o leading into the other end.. Mounted within this cylinder, and on the piston rod p,

soY

is the piston P, and secured to this piston rod l through the medium of the crank lever by means of the pin p, is a block p2. Mounted on the shaft p3 are the levers p4, p". One

end of each of these levers is provided with a pin p5, Which projects into the groove in the collar n, and the other end of each of the levers p4 is slotted to receive the pin p.

' Secured to the foundation, the floor, or a projection from the main frame of the machine, and in line with piston rod p, is the yoke S. vrProjecting through orifices in the arms of the yoke S, and surrounding the piston rod p, are the bushings s and s. These bushings are provided with shoulders of greater diameter than the orifices inthe arms of the yoke S. Surrounding the piston rod p, and interposed between the shoulders of the bushings s and s, is the coil spring S. And surrounding the piston rod p beyond the bushings s and s', are the adjusting nuts .s and s respectively. The object of these nuts is to adjust the piston rod p, and with it the levers p, p4, so that When the levers are in their central position, the spring S, will force the shoulders of the collars s and s against the arms of the yoke S.

R, is a valve casing, inclosing a valve which can be of any Well known type. Leading into this valve casing, is the pressure supply pipeR, and leading from this valve, to the cylinder O, are the pipes a' and 7", which connect with the ports o and 0 rcspectively.

Mounted in suitable bearings is the rock shaft T, and secured to this shaft, is the crank lever i, the hand lever t', and the levers t2 and t3. The levers t2 and t3 are out vof alinement With each other, but are in alinement with the respective projections or striker arms u2 and a3, which are adjustably secured to the side of the moving platen of the planer. Therefore, when the platen is moved (to the right) the projection a3, Will strike the lever t3, and rock the shaft T to the right; and When the platen is moved to the left, the projection u2 will strike the lever t2, and rock the shaft in the opposite direction. The hand lever t is used by the operator to rock the shaft in either direction, as will hereinafter appear.

Iivotally connected tothe end of the crank lever t, is a link t4, and the other end of this link is connected to a crank which .is secured to the end of the stem of the valve in the casing R. Therefore, When the shaft T is rocked, the valve Will be shifted to allow the pressure to flow in a predetermined manner.

The operation is as follows z---After' the operator has securedthe pieceto be machined on the platen B, he adjusts the cutting tools and the lugs u2 and a3, so that they Will strike the levers t and t3 after the proper length of strokes have been given to the platen B. The operator now moves the hand to the right, which will shift the valve and the link t4. This Will allow the air te flow through the pipe r andA port o, and move the piston P, and its rod p to the left. This movement of the piston rod will compress the spring S, by means of the bushing s, and Will lrock thelevers 794, thereby moving the sleeve N, and the Wings n to the right. This movement of the Wings n', b reason of the cams n2 therein, will draw the pins m2 and the long arms of the bell cranks m toward each other, and force the short arms of the bell-crank levers m to the right, compressing the right hand spring Zt, and forcing the rod L, and the clutch member G, to the right. This movement of the clutch member G to the right, will force it into' engagement With the clutch member n, which rotates the shaft F, and with it the pinion D, in the proper direction to move the platen B to the right. When the platen has moved a sufficient distance so that the lug u, strikes and moves the lever t", rocking the shaft T in the reverse direction, this reverse movement Will shift the valve so that pressure will be admitted through the pipe r and port o, and Will open pipe 'i' and port 0, to exhaust. This reversal of the pressure will shift the piston, and its various connections in the reverse direction, thereby disengaging the clutch member G from the clutch member n, and forces it into connection With the clutch member L, which will reverse the motion of the gearing and move the platen B to the left. After the platen has been moved to the left a sufHcient distance so that the projection u2 strikes-and moves the lever t2, the mechanism vWill again be reversed so that the platen Will be moved to the right. When the operator desires to bring the machine to a state of rest, he moves the hand lever t', to its central position, (the position illustrated in the drawings) which Will open both ports 0 and 0 to exhaust, and the spring S will force either the bushing .s or s to its seat and bring the piston, its rod and various connections to their central or olf position.

The source 0f trouble which was met with in this type of machine tools, was the inability of the operator to make a quick and positive stop. The springs Z4 were depended upon to bring the clutch member to its central position; consequently the tension of these springs would have to be equal. Another serious trouble Which Was met with, was the rebounding of these springs When both ports 0 4and 0 were opened to stop the machine. Supposing for example, that .the right hand spring Z4, Was under compression, the clutch member G -Would be in engagement with the clutch member k. If the operator would move the valve to its central position, so as to connect both ends of the cylinder With the exhaust, the right hand clutch member G would engage the clutchL member la, rebound again, and might move the clutch member G far enough to reengage the clutch member n. This was a vserious fault with machines of this type, as

quite frequently the platen was reversed several times before the machine was brought to a'state of rest. VAs the operatordid not have perfect control of the machine, he was placed in a dangerous position, and the work on the platen was very often ruined, due to this defect. This fault is overcome by placing an auxiliary spring 'between posi:- tive stops, so that when it has expanded to the limit of its adjustment, it will only have the momentum of the mechanism to overcome, instead of the momentum, plus the expansion of its opposing 'spring beyond its central position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a driving mechanism, two driving .clutch members, a driven clutch member,

the driven clutch member having oppositely disposed working faces to engage either of the driving clutch members, shifting mechanism to shift the driven clutch member into engagement with either of the driving clutch members, a springto return the clutch memi bers to their disengaged position when the shifting mechanism is released, the movement of the spring being positively restrained from further action when the clutch members have reached their adjusted disenv gaged position.

2. In a driving mechanism, two driving clutch members rotating in opposite directions, a driven clutch member between the driving clutch members, and having two oppositely disposed working faces to lengage either of the driving clutch members, shifting mechanism to shift the driven clutch member into engagement with either of the driving clutch members, a spring toretu'rn the driven clutch member to its-disengaged position when the shifting mechanism is released, the movement of the spring being positively restrained when the driven clutch member has reached its adjusted disengaged position.

3. In a driving mechanism, two driving clutch members, a driven clutch member between the driving clutch members, and having two oppositely disposed working faces to engage either of the driving clutch members, shifting mechanismto shift the driven clutch member into engagement with either of the driving clutch members, a spring to return the clutch members to their disengaged position when the shifting mechanism is released, the further movement of the spring being confined between stops when the clutches have reached their adjusted disengaged position.

In testimony whereof, I.. have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FERDIENANT NIESSNER.

Witnesses: i

LoRE'r'ro OCONNELL, H. SMITH. 

